Home Again

My boss called about 5:45pm last night to see how I was doing. I'll I had to do is say hello and he knew I was still doing terrible. He assured he would cover for me so I wouldn't get behind and insisted I stay home. He also went on to tell me I sold about $50,000 in National advertising (obviously he took care of it for me) so I was off to a good start for P4 (April). He was really great and told me not to even worry about calling in he would just plan on my not being there. I was so trying to not miss a single day of work. When you go 6 months without having a sick day, you earn a vacation day. March 18th was 6 months but I'm not sure how it works.

A friend of mine in MN a while back pointed out to me that after every church event, I get sick. She is so right. All I can think of is when I'm with people I don't see very often I push myself and don't get enough sleep. Also, if I'm on program I give out so much that I am quite spent afterward. Friday I was in bed by 11 pm but we had to up at 3:30 am to catch our flight. Saturday night I didn't go to bed until after 1 am when I'm usually in bed by 10 pm at home, the fact that Brother Nowling made himself at home with his snoring didn't help any. I could've taken a nap, but I hate missing out on a chance to visit. Then Sunday we got home about 10 pm but I was up until about 11:30 pm sharing the weekend with the girls. Monday I felt fine but I was feeling like I was losing my voice. Tuesday morning I was worse and it has progressively got even worse. Today at least I'm not fevoring but my head throat and chest hurts and it still feels like my throat and chest are being ripped apart when I cough.

Jody's usually a real champ for me when I'm sick but he's too stressed about his training to think about anything else. He's been sleeping on the couch so he won't get sick. Him and Joleesa have gone to take their Alaska driver's test (Joleesa will have do her permit first). Then he has to take his highschool diploma down to AA as when they called his school they told them it would be a few weeks before they could get his transcripts to them. They call everybody and then some. There are no secrets from them that's for sure. He has a workbook he has to complete before Sunday and he was freaking out that he wasn't going to pass (Jenna started helping him as to try to calm him down). Top that with the fact that he's not fond of flying and he'll have to fly by himself this time, and the fact that he hates not being here for us and for the church. I just pray the Lord calms him down.

Jody has gone many places by himself, retreats, BTI, Canada, etc. We're just a very close knit family and if it's possible for one of us to have another go with us we do. He'll do just fine on all counts if he'll calm down. I believe he's going to get to the place that he even enjoys flying~grin. It may take a few more flights for that to happen, but it will.

Well, my body says it needs sleep now. Thanks for the prayers, please keep them coming.

Infested With Germs

Our house is so infested with germs. Joleesa was sick then Jessa and now me. I actually called in sick today. I've felt rotten all week but I woke up this morning at 4 am burning up with fever,every joint in my body hurt, and I had a hard time breathing and when I cough it feels like its ripping my chest apart. I've slept literally all day and my body still wants to sleep. I don't remember the last time I was this sick. I need to be able to go to work tomorrow because I'll get to far behind.

Also, pray Jody doesn't get down with this. Not with having to fly to Seattle for his new job.

Jody's Leaving Me.....

For two weeks. He has to do his training in Seattle and leaves out Sunday afternoon. This is not nice. We have not been a way from each like that for YEARS. I hate it, hate it, hate it. He thinks he'll be able to fly home on the weekend. I have to be careful not to say too much because he is stressed enough and I know he doesn't want to be gone either. It'll be wierd having him gone....I just want to cry! You can't go, you can't go. I know, I'm pathetic but I don't care. It never fails too, when he's gone things go wrong. Real optimistic aren't I. It is wierd as he doesn't care to fly either.

I feel rotten today. I went to bed feeling fine but woke up at 2:30 am with a terrific sore throat then when I got up at 7 am my throat, my head, my chest, they all hurt. It came on me that quickly. I still went to work, as my co-worker still isn't doing well physically (please continue to pray for Ronada).

I've got so much to do this week and I don't feel like doing any of it.

Great Time in Bethel

Yesterday was the last session of the convention. Brother Sutton preached on Joseph and how because Joseph loved God with his whole heart God used every trial, test and temptation for his good. It was encouraging to say the least.

The ladies then put on an awesome pot luck. I had salmon made by Sister Mojin (which I liked-didn't love; Joleesa tasted it after much pushing and declared emphatically she didn't like it~smile), salmon pasta, guduc (salmon berry & blueberry ice cream), a delicious salad, celiaks (?), chile, awesome desserts, I know I'm missing things because it was quite the spread and I tried EVERYTHING!

Then the Mojins took us the frozen super highway of the Kuskekwim River(I know that spellings wrong but I don't have time to look it up)showing us the villages and fish camps along the way. It was wierd, wide open space as Brother Mojin said they needed to stay on the road of the river, I'm thinking, what road. Then Isaiah, Micah, Nathan and Joleesa met up with us and I first had Isaiah take me for a ride on the snowmachine and then I drove it around a little bit while Mojins and Jody parked the truck and watched. Joleesa then drove it pulling Micah on his ice skates behind and we went back to town. Mojins then had us over for afternoon tea, which I didn't know was an eskimo custom.

We then headed back to Suttons to visit some more with this precious couple and their foster girls which we fell in love with. Little JoeAnn adored Jody as did he her.

It was then time to go to the airport and it was snowing and blowing hard. All the Peters and Cabellas met us there as the Grants and Tim were on the same flight with us. It was quite the send off as we walked onto the tarmack in the blowing snow thinking it was going to be a rough flight. Joleesa actually took the window seat and as we got up to 35000 feet there was blue skies and sunshine. It was beautiful and Joleesa pulled out her camera. The landing was the smoothest ever. We had a tail wind pushing us and we made it sooner than expected.

It was great weekend and we look forward to VISITING again in the summer.

Bethel

We are really enjoying ourselves here in Bethel. The Suttons and their foster girls are so precious. We never dreamed we'd ever be in Bethel and here we are...it's bigger than what we imagined. Suttons took us to Saturday Market (craft show they have monthly)and they had some really neat things but the costs were huge. I did find a parka that I fell in love with it but...we didn't have $850 in our pocket and even if we did, I would never be able to justify that kind of money even though it is probably worth every penny. We also ate at Datu's, authentic chinese restaurant it was really good. We haven't found that good of Chinese in Anchorage. The think that is so strange to me is the house being on stilts and the huge sewer pipes wrapping around the houses in plain view, and the grated sidewalks and ramps. Last night it snowed and after playing games I came back to the parsonage. Joleesa was ahead of me and went into the house. It was very slippery under the snow and when I went to step up on the wooden sidewalk my feet went out from under me. I wasn't hurt but I couldn't get up as my feet continued to slip. I yelled for Joleesa but didn't think she heard me. I crawled and got one knee on the sidewalk but still couldn't get up because I was tangled in my long skirt. Joleesa did hear me and came to the rescue. She had heard me, threw her stuff in the door, and literally jumped all the steps and in turn twisted her ankle. I feel really bad as I couldn't get but I didn't get hurt and here she did.

Services have been really good. Before we left for the morning service we had prayer at the parsonage as I wanted to be sure I had found the direction God wanted me to go. God blessed wonderfully. I spoke on Nehemiah and I literally laid out the gates having a youth hold a sign that represented the gates and spoke on the purpose of each of the gates and compaired to the spiritual. I randomly handed out the signs, if you studied Nehemiah you'll know what the gates are...in random order Brother Bobby became the "old gate" and Isaiah was the "dung gate". We had a great laugh with those. But the whole purposee of the message was that though the gates may not be burned down or the walls broken down, we need to examine our lives and what we're doing and make sure there's no cracks and shore them up so the enemy can't get in.

Brother Nowling preached a great message last night "What doth the Lord require of you?" It was about those that ALMOST made it in but spiritually ALMOST doesn't cut and he used different examples. Both sessions we have had great worship time and the altar service have been filled.

This morning we have the camp boost and Brother Bobby preaches so I'm ready for another wonderful time in the Lord.

This afternoon I'll hopefully go snowmaching with Isaiah and Micah (Joleesa had a great time on the river with them crashing).

Church time

Changes and youth convention

I have felt like the last couple of weeks we were on the steps to some major changes for our family once again. The girls and their new jobs. Jody's new job, Joleesa graduating, the girls moving out...WOW! God's been good but when He starts moving things in our family, He does it all at once and I just want to say just slow the wheel down a little bit, or fast forward so that we can be settled into our new routine.

We have our youth convention this weekend. Unfortunately Jessa and Jenna won't be going as they just couldn't afford it and we couldn't afford to pay for 5. It's ging to take getting use to the fact that though we're travelling less miles then we did to the various conventions we went to in Wisconsin, it's costing us more to get there then it did for our family of 5 to travel, stay at a hotel and eat out. Though it will get cheaper in the future, PTL, but they have to be able to have the time off work to go. Anyway, we have to be at the airport at 4:30 am as our flight leaves at 6 am. We get in to Bethel at 7:30 am and service starts at 10 am. I'm on to preach right away too. I've been praying and seeking the Lord as to what to preach and NOTHING. I've tossed around several thoughts, searched the scriptures and NOTHING. I preach in less 48 and I had a thought but it didn't feel right. Tonight I pulled out my notebook and found some notes...and the Lord has spoke loud and clear to me about Nehemiah and building/shoring up the walls. Please pray that the Lord annoints and speaks to our hearts.

Pray for Joleesa and Jody. This will be Joleesa's very first time flying and Jody is not fond of flying. It's a short flight but I'm not sure if that's good or bad. But they're going to have to get use to it aren't they ~grin. I love to fly.

I'll give you a report of the convention when we get back.

Jody Didn't Get The Job, BUT....

Well Jody had his agility test yesterday and though it was really tough until the very last test. He had to crawl in the belly of a plane and try to lift a big box. He tried three times and couldn't do as they wanted. He was exhausted. So he actually didn't get the job. BUT they asked him to come back today to interview for the Cargo Customer Service Agent. Office work instead of manual, heavy lifting, YES! He wasn't sure he could do it. BUT after driving again last night he went straight to the 2 hour interview and they asked him to come back at 3 pm for the one on one interview and they offered him the job. He goes back tomorrow for the agility test for this position. He feels confident he can pass this one because it's basically lifting and bending. And he doesn't have to lift anything over 70 lbs. I believe this position pays more, but we still do have the issue of hours. But we've said all along it's in God's hands.

Well last night I took Joleesa to get her senior pictures taken. My little girl was a beautiful, sassy looking model and she knows without doubt, a model she doesn't want to be but it was fun for her and it was fun watching her. I picked up the proofs today. Overall they turned out good. I was disappointed in the one in the dress as he had her in a wierd, twisted pose and it showed in the picture as such. But the rest turned out great. How could they not Joleesa is a beautiful, fun, sassy young lady and she always takes good pictures. Seeing how Joleesa is not one for dresses much anyways its ok that that didn't turn out. We've ordered her graduation announcements and next week we've got to pick up your cap and gown. She still has to take the math part of her Alaska exit exam (as she didn't pass that part the first time-she did awesome on all the rest)besides completing her Science, Math and English classes. But she can do it. There is a little concern about her exit exam as it's the geometry part that she's having problem with and I was NEVER good at geometry and neither was Jenna. She takes her exam April 3rd (I think) so we need to get it figured out.

Well I need to work on my message for youth conventin this weekend. Thanks for the prayers regarding the jobs. Please continue to pray for the hours to come together for Jody. Even more so please pray for our youth convention, I'd really like to see the Holy Ghost be free.